Dismantling 1950s Westminster Radiogram

['LIVEWIRE?']

No model No. visible, but the picture may trigger someone's memory (hopefully!) The deck is a BSR UA6, and the radio, which uses the usual B9A base 'E' series valves, has S/M/L and VHF Bands. I need to remove both the radio chassis, and the autochanger for servicing, but cannot see how they are secured. The deck has onlu one transit screw fitted - that nearest the front RH side (as viewed from the front). I've removed the two nuts & washer securing this, but cannot lift out the deck completelt. There is no screw in the reah LH hole. AAS to the radio chassis, I think it may be fastened from underneath, but before I tip the cabinet over onto it's front can anyone confirm/deny this, please?

[Nickthedentist]

Mike,

Could you use a mirror and a torch to have a look at the inaccessible places without the drama of turning the whole thing onto its front?

Certainly in Black Boxes, the UA6 just sits on its springs and can be lifted free in an instant without tools (though the motor can catch on the motor board a bit).

Cheers,

Nick.

[Radio Tech]

The radiogram looks like either a Pye model or Marconiphone, somewhere on it will be perhaps a small plate telling you what model and make it is, usually on the chassis of the radio or even a paper one stuck to the inside of the cabinet. I suspect the radio will be easy to remove, pull the control knobs off, four screws / bolts underneath the chassis and the record deck will be plugged in. as for the deck I would have thought the plinth that holds the deck will either have about four to six screws countersunk or even a wooden batten that may hold one side of the plinth down. I think a few more very clear pictures would help us all to help you. Hope this helps.

Best wishes

Ken

['LIVEWIRE?']

Thanks for the info., Ken. I may check Pye & Marconi to see if I can find a similar model. In the meantime, the plinth on which the record deck is, or appears to be, firmly glued in place, but I'll investigate further in case there's an easily removable batten. You may well be correct about the chassis is removed. Servicing & repairs should be relatively easy once I can remove the 'works' from the cabinet. No model Number anywhere I can see, but I'll take some more pictures later. Nick, I've tried, without success, to reome the deck in the manner you suggest, but maybe it is only the motorcatching something which prevents removal

[regentone001]

t
The UA6 deck never has transit screws they were usually clamped to the plinth by a woodscrew. The deck is usually held in place by nuts and fixed long bolts one on the Left hand side towards the rear and one on the right towards the front, just in front of the pick up arm rest. The nuts and associated washers, sometimes felt washers also, have to be removed from underneath then the deck can be lifted out.
Steve

['LIVEWIRE?']

Steve, what I called the front transit screw is the item which you describe. I've removed the two fixing nuts and washers from that bolt. Where the rear bolt should be is only a hole in the deck plate, but something is holding the deck on place at the rear LH corner. At the moment I can't see what that something is, so will have to explore further.

[regentone001]

Hi Livewire, just checked one of my UA6s and indeed there is a hole. Just to the right of it, under the turntable, is another captive bolt.Sorry I had forgotten about the misleading hole.

Steve

['LIVEWIRE?']

About 30 minutes ago, Steve, I found the other nut & bolt. It's not in a very easy to get at position in this RG, but it is reachable and can be undone. As to the chassis, as Ken (Radio Tech) suggests, it's held by at least two bolts threaded into the rear of the chassis from underneath, and the knobs just pull off (unusual for a radio of thiode days methinks), but getting at the screws won't be easy. They appear to be recessed into the woodwork, so it looks like I'll need to kneel on the floor and reach upwards to undo them. Either that, or as I at first thought, carefully tip the cabinet over on to its front so that I can reach in and undo them.

[Edward Huggins]

That's a classic mid 1950s "Bureaugram" design with it's faux sycamore interior. As for Post #3, this has absolutely nothing to do with Pye and also I suspect Marconi. An early FM model, this comes from 1955 and may well have a Plessey chassis.

['LIVEWIRE?']

With the aid of a Lead Lamp and a bit of fiddling, I've now removed and checked the record deck, which appears to be in good order for its age, even the idler wheel looks to be in good condition. However the motor switch doesn't work, so I'll have to see if that's repairable or find a suitable replacement. Don't yet know if the cartridge has survived the years unscathed, as there is no sound from the radio/amplifier at all. The chassis, incidentally, will come out quite easily once I can get three of the four knobs off - one pulled off easily, the others are stuck. All that it will then need to remove the chassis is to take out two wood screws securing its wooden base to the cabinet, unplug external leads (Aerial, Earth, Pickup*, and Speaker - all connected via wander plugs) and the VHF Ribbon antenna - two easily removable pin plugs. (* The latter is joined to a hard to access tagstrip containing some resistors and a wax capacitor, from which another screened lead goes to the record deck.) Incidentally the mains supply to the motor is connected via a 'choc' block hanging loosely inside the cabinet. Whether that's original I know not, but, as the motor supply leads are plugged into the chassis, I will probably solder extensions to those from the deck when I refit it. As to the radio/amplifier, that will no doubt need several 'waxies' replacing. Hopefully no major component such as the o/p transformer is faulty!

['LIVEWIRE?']

To add to the above, I have now removed the radio chassis, after, with some difficulty, prising off the four knobs - these are held on their shafts by 'D' shaped spring clips, btw. As I expected there are several Hunts and waxies which will need changing, but I'm for the moment puzzled as to why the DC resistance across the motor supply leads - with the motor disconnected - is less than 4or5 ohms, whilst the resistance between L & N at the mains plug is ca. 40-50 ohms. I'd have expected the reading on the leads to be the same as that. Motor supply is taken from across the voltage selector, and the radio is a conventional one with a double wound mains transformer. I'd have expected the motor to be wired between the voltage selector switch common point and mains neutral, therefore about 40-50 ohms across the motor supply leads.

['LIVEWIRE?']

Further progress; I have found that one of the tags on the speaker 'switch' tagboard was broken and that, plus a wire off the speaker, was why there was no sound from the radio or gram. I still have to replace the various waxies & Hunts caps, and check for any other faulty components, but at least I now know that the mains and o/p transformers are in working order, as, basically, are the valves, though, if an ECC85 is used in the VHF tuner of course that may be faulty. I have not connected either an aerial or signal generator to the radio, and have only powered it for a very short time until the caps. are replaced.

['LIVEWIRE?']

Here are some pictures of the Westminster Radiogram, which I hope may assist someone in being able to identify it. There is no model name or number anywhere on the chassis or cabinet, and it doesn't look as if there ever have been. Neither, which, to me is odd for something made in the 1950s, is there a Royalty Plate anywhere. (I thought all setmakers had to affix one of those to their products)

['LIVEWIRE?']

Here is an underside view of the Westminster Radiogram chassis

[Radio Tech]

Looks like you will have your work cut out with this, very compactly assembled and I would say most not if all of those caps will require replacement. Worth taking your time over and Good luck with the project.

Ken

[vidjoman]

I think Westminster was a name applied to products sold by Currys. They seemed to have goods made by various makers. I would have thought that a type number should be on the back cover.
On Radiomuseum they list a Westminster SCT252 table radiogram that looks as if it could be the same bits in a different box.

['LIVEWIRE?']

I've seen the Westminster Radiogram on Radiomuseum, vidjoman. You may be right in thinking that the SCT252 has the same internal parts. There is definitely no model name or number anywhere in the bureau type Radiogram currently with me for repair. Incidentally, some Westminster radios, etc. on RM are listed as being made by or for other firms than Curry's